Sociodemographic Differences and Factors Affecting Patient Portal Utilization

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Health Services Research
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Patient portals enhance access to personal health information, empowering informed healthcare decisions.
• Electronic access to health data is a key component of modern healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify sociodemographic disparities in patient portal utilization.
• To examine factors influencing patient portal use post-Meaningful Use program implementation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 data (cycles 1-3) from 8291 participants.
• Multivariable logistic regression used to assess racial and ethnic differences, controlling for covariates.
• Study included English and Spanish-speaking adults in the USA.

Main Results:

• Significant associations found between race/ethnicity and reasons for non-use, such as perceived lack of need.
• Among users, race/ethnicity correlated with provider EHR maintenance, portal offer, information understanding, perceived usefulness, and privacy concerns.
• Racial and ethnic differences were observed in understanding health information and reporting concerns about unauthorized access.

Conclusions:

• Race/ethnicity significantly influences perceptions of patient portal necessity and access.
• Understanding these sociodemographic factors is crucial for developing effective strategies to increase patient portal adoption.
• Addressing disparities can improve equitable access to digital health tools.